LAST season Rhyl won the Welsh Premier League title in record-breaking fashion while near neighbours Prestatyn Town narrowly escaped relegation.

On that basis, one would expect the Lilywhites to be ebullient and full of confidence entering the 2009/10 campaign while the Seasiders could be forgiven for feeling a little tentative – especially with a top dozen position essential this term as the Super 12 beckons.

But things have changed an awful lot in the little under four months that the Lilies were crowned champions of the Principality-sponsored league.

As the recession bit, Rhyl have had to cut their cloth accordingly and nine members of the title-winning squad have been off-loaded with just three quality replacements coming in.

Then there was the two-legged disaster against Partizan Belgrade in the Champions League which saw the Lilywhites crushed 12-0 on aggregate – the highest ever losing margin for a Welsh Premier club in Europe.

True, Partizan were top class, but in the very next round they too were dumped out of the competition by those European immortals Apoel of Cyprus.

Not long after Rhyl announced the departure of head coach Allan Bickerstaff, who missed both the Partizan games due to a family holiday, with even the fact he delivered the league title in his debut season being insufficient to save him.

Last week more woes emerged from Belle Vue as it was revealed the club has been refused a second advance on their £330,000 Champions League prize money.

That has led to a further "reformulating of the budget" and late last week it emerged goalkeeper Lee Kendall had left the club with two years of his contract still to run to join Port Talbot. It is feared other high profile players might be on their way.

New player manager Greg Strong, a key member of Rhyl’s rock solid defence last season, has a tough job if he is to keep the Lilywhites up there as a major force – but he is determined to do so.

"I’m red-hot on the phone," said Strong. "I have a lot of contacts in the game and I’m speaking to old friends, trying to call in a few favours and seeing who’s available. Some of the players I’m talking to would improve us and represent a forward step for the club – not a backward one."

Meanwhile down the road at Prestatyn, the mood is pretty positive.

Realising that while fielding an entirely local squad is an admirable policy it far from guarantees success, Town have drafted in a handful of top quality signings during the summer.

Andy Moran, Steve Rogers, Paul O’Neill and Gareth Wilson all have a wealth of experience in the Welsh Premier, three of them having won the championship, while keeper Matt Towns, formerly of Macclesfield Town, looks a real gem.

Prestatyn have looked good in pre-season, going seven matches unbeaten including a 0-0 draw at Belle Vue against the champions.

"I already felt the players we had in existence here were good enough to play in a top six side," said Seasiders player boss Neil Gibson.

"But by bringing in the type of quality we have, the weight of expectation on some players’ shoulders is not so great.

"I’ve seen a big difference in the players we already had here who are rising to the challenge.

"We realise that on the field and off it, we need to meet the criteria and finish in the top 10. The belief at the club is strong."

So while Prestatyn fans are full of excitement at the prospect of a second season in the Welsh Premier with a strengthened squad, there is a definite feeling of unease among the Rhyl contingent.

That could all change very quickly if the majority of the Lilywhites’ top performers can be retained and Strong is able to bring in some high class talent, but it remains to be seen what occurs.

One thing which cannot be denied is that with so many clubs fighting to stay afloat and the top brass anxious to remain there, this has the makings of the most fascinating Welsh Premier season yet.